Politics and Policy Processes for Green Energy Transition and Climate Neutrality: A Project Report

PublikationArtikel (utan peer review)

Martin Björklund

Sammanfattning

This policy report outlines the group research on advocacy, decision-making, and EU policy change towards green energy transition and climate neutrality, focusing on resource- and energy-efficient buildings, as well as energy efficiency more broadly within the EU’s Fit for 55 legislative packages. The research also includes analyses of advocacy and decision-making related to EU policy change for decarbonizing maritime shipping. The project explores how stakeholder coalitions shape policies for sustainable environments since decision-making is influenced by stakeholders and conflicts of interest. By providing better insight into EU policy change dynamics, this report offers valuable knowledge that can enhance policymakers’ understanding of how to influence future EU policies on energy efficiency and building energy performance, as well as a clean energy transition more broadly, promoting Swedish interests. It highlights the complexity of decision-making in energy efficiency and climate impact reduction within the EU while also underscoring the influence of stakeholders and conflicts of interest. As a result, actors with inadequate grasp of political dynamics can hinder effective energy policy design and implementation, posing challenges to achieving climate goals and sustainable development. Similarly, since negotiations are key to advance regulation, it is found that less politicization and polarization facilitate deliberative negotiations and policy-oriented learning, among other things. Thus, strategic advocacy is crucial for Swedish policymakers aiming to successfully influence future EU energy and climate policies.

Gamez, D. B., von Malmborg, F., Nordensvärd, J., Björklund, M., & La Fleur, L. (2024). Politics and Policy Processes for Green Energy Transition and Climate Neutrality: A Project Report. Linköping University Electronic Press.

Liknande innehåll

Politik och omställning för grön energiomställning och klimatneutralitet

RapporterPublikation

Skogsmo, E., Björklund, M., Gamez, D. B., La Fleur, L., & Nordensvärd, J.

Publiceringsår

2024

Publicerat i

Linköping University Electronic Press

Sammanfattning

Här sammanfattas vår forskning om påverkansarbete, beslutsfattande och förändring av EU:s politik för grön energiomställning och klimatneutralitet. Fokus ligger på resurs- och energieffektiva byggnader, men även energieffektivisering mer generellt och andra områden inom EU:s lagstiftningspaket Fit for 55. Beslutsfattandet kring energieffektivitet och minskad klimatpåverkan är komplext och påverkas av olika faktorer, inklusive intressenter, intressekonflikter och strategier. Bristande förståelse för politiska dynamiker kan hindra effektiv utformning och genomförande av energipolitik, vilket i sin tur kan försvåra arbetet med att uppnå klimatmål och främja hållbar utveckling. I våra projekt lämnas kunskap om processerna kring beslutsfattande och förändring av EU-politiken. Här presenteras ett kunskapsunderlag att dels påverka framtida EU-direktiv om energieffektivitet och byggnaders energiprestanda, dels främja svensk innovation och förbättra implementering av energieffektiviserande åtgärder i byggd miljö i Sverige såväl som EU och globalt. Resultaten visar att en djupare förståelse för sociala, politiska och institutionella faktorer är avgörande för att effektivt driva hållbar energipolitik. Vi betonar även behovet av ökad transparens för lobbyister för att säkerställa en rättvis och öppen politisk process.

Going beyond the Council as brake of EU energy policy: Analysing the internal process of the Council in the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

Artikel (med peer review)Publikation

Björklund, M., von Malmborg, F., La Fleur, L., & Nordensvärd, J.

Publiceringsår

2024

Publicerat i

Energy Policy

Sammanfattning

The Council is the voice of the member states’ governments in the EU policymaking process and the institutional setting where member states can enforce their national interest. The literature on Council decision-making has previously mostly used expert interviews or voting patterns. Through a detailed examination of one specific legislative file in the recent ‘Fit for 55’ climate package in which subsidiarity and varying national conditions is central, this study focus on how disagreements between member states are resolved and how strategic word framing can aid in resolving political controversies in EU energy policy. This article analyses Council working group meeting notes and revisions of the recent recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, providing a unique look behind the curtains of negotiations between member states in the Council within a deliberative intergovernmental framework. A mix of quantitative and qualitative text analysis is applied to deliberations and legislative revisions. The findings show that a fragile consensus is reached despite disagreement through enabling of national flexibility in policy decisions, indicating that the Council determines the speed of European integration in the policy domain.

Lessons learnt from 20+ years of research on multilevel governance of energy-efficient and zero-carbon buildings in the European Union

Artikel (med peer review)Publikation

Björklund, M., von Malmborg, F., & Nordensvärd, J.

Publiceringsår

2023

Publicerat i

Energy Efficiency, 16(8), 98.

Sammanfattning

At global scale, the building sector accounts for 40% of total energy end use and almost 35% of greenhouse gas emissions. This makes it one of the most important sectors to focus on for reaching the 1.5–2 °C target of the Paris Agreement, to enhance energy security of supply and to alleviate energy poverty. The European Union (EU) is often seen as a leader in climate governance, which is also true for energy efficiency. The improvement of energy performance of buildings has been part of EU public policy for more than 50 years, making the EU a pioneer in the policy domain. Based on a semi-structured review of the scientific literature (N=90), this paper is aimed at drawing the lessons from research on governance of energy-efficient and zero-carbon buildings in the EU. As for the findings, there is a multitude of policy instruments developed on different levels of governance, more or less integrated and managed by different actors and no single instrument is sufficient to stimulate energy-efficient and zero-carbon buildings. Five key challenges are identified in the governance literature examining the transition towards energy efficiency and zero-carbon buildings: An ambiguous leadership, heterogeneity of implementation, lack of incentives, limitations of non-regulatory policies and market-based instruments, and limited diffusion between governance levels. We also conclude that most policy instruments focus on new buildings which is problematic since the greatest challenge in the transition is the renovation of the large existing building stock.

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